I need help plannong a party

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hi im turning 20 in a few weeks and im planning my first party!! !! !! ! (my last birthday party was when i was 13 and that was my bat mitzvah)

I dont know what type of activities to have. i dont want it too corny

We are going to have it at a resturaunt then walk back to my house for cake. What type of activities should I have ( no drinking games or alcohol most of the guests are under 21. Im thinking of some type of board game but i dont know whats appropriate. Ive never planned a party before

The guests population is varied most are special needs of some type 3 in ( including me ) are on the spectrum. One is Epilepsy and adhd , a few are ld (one may be on the spectrum but i dont know her diagnosis) and one is completly neurotypical. what do you think would be a good activities

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Congratulations on your party!

With that diverse a group, I'd suggest the "scattershot" approach. That is, if you have room to do so, have a few areas set up as game areas. Have a deck of cards, a game like Janga (if you can find it cheap) where people take turns stacking/unstacking pieces; perhaps a couple of really corny kiddy games like CandyLand or Snakes-n-Ladders (I think Walmart has these for about $5 each). Play it for camp - just because people are turning 19 or 20 or 21 doesn't mean your party has to be "sophisticated". Have silly prizes for the winners (little trinkets bought at a dime store.) Or you could ask people to bring their favorite games. Also, there are really old-fashioned games like Charades or the newer one where you draw on a big sheet of paper to get people to guess a word that you're assigned. That actually can be a lot of fun and can get really silly really fast.

The thing I would suggest, though, is to be flexible. You might just want to walk back from the restaurant and sit and talk for a bit, and maybe have a cup of tea or coffee (or other liquid refreshment) and perhaps a light dessert available? Having the games available on a table would allow those who want to play to play, and others could still sit and talk. You don't say how many people will be attending, so it's a little hard to guess.

Good luck, and I hope you have a great time!

Happy birthday in advance! A party sounds great! At 20 or even later teens you don't need to plan any activity. Just let people hang out and chill with you. You might want to have some things available to do spur of the moment type thing, like a Wii and some games or a movie. Van Wilder is a HilARIOUS movie about college age kids. Also, have some CD's laying out by the stereo and tell people help themselves. My kids do like board games and we have a bunch of them. It's a spur of the moment thin for that too, and we have Monopoly, Scrabble, and their favorie, Risk. Another thing if you like it is to have a poker game. You can get a little chip set and cards cheap and take turns dealing and calling the game, so everybody gets to have fun. If you want to make it interesting, Make it a $5 buy in. That's enough to make you feel you accomplished something but not enough to really matter if you lose it. A restaurant is a good idea cause a bunch of folks in your age group will make the biggest Godawful mess lol! My oldest is 20, and then his sister is 16, and I have a 14 and 13yo too. They have lots of company and people hanging out at our house, and trust me, you don't want all the dinner dishes on top of the glasses and cans and everything else you will have left in the morning. Since some of your friends are on the spectrum, you might want to also have something set up *in another room* or a place where you just casually mention "Or if you want to go in the other room and chill or read for a few, feel free". I'm Aspie and I get bored at parties sometimes and just want to go sit by myself and read a book for maybe 30 minutes then I'm back in the action.

One warning, just because they are under 21 doesn't mean somebody won't sneak booze or weed or even actual drugs in. If you notice somebody is catching a buzz, just calmly tell them "Oh hey, if that's your thing, go for it, but I'd like you to crash here tonight" and be ready to provide pillows and blankets for those who won't respect your wishes about not drinking. That way nobody drives drunk or buzzed. If you are upset with them for ignoring your request, the next day is time enough to bring that up to them.

Anyway, good luck and it sounds like you are gonna have a great time!

PaganMom

When I had my 21st I broke people up into teams and had trivia, guess the celebrity from the photo and brainteasers as well as a quiz of random things about me. People seemed to enjoy it and it was a good alternative to the running or loud noise related games that usually go on and freak me out. It can also be an opportunity for people you know to meet unrelated people you know and chat with them a bit, people tend to get cliquey at parties. -MaS